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Show sh; 1??!IWV -v xx xxX xx w1- Vvvr i V S v ."r - , . .ir-hV ' . Courtesy "Aon Studio Zion Canyon Narrows, One of a 1000 tteauty Spots. Roads in Scenic Southwest Utah By H. V. RICHARDS, Statistician, State Road Commission. The scenic beauty and geologic interest in-terest of the National Parks of Southern South-ern Utah are so remarkable that they continue to command a large amount of space in the metropolitan newspapers news-papers throughout the United States, and in the magazines devoted to tour-is tour-is travel and the scenic resqurces of the nation. Since good roads are primarily responsible for the success attained thus far, so will the future development of this region depend upon an adequate road building program. pro-gram. That everyone connected with road-building road-building activities recognizes the importance im-portance of this statement is evidenced evi-denced by the road projects recently completed or under way for the accommodation ac-commodation of the heavy tourist traffic that will inevitably result as the fame of Utah attractions continues con-tinues to grow. The state in co-operation with the federal bureau of public roads and forest service, has improved to a high standard 190 miles of road in the region re-gion which includes Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks and Bryce Canyon Can-yon at a total cost to date of $2,000,-000, $2,000,-000, and chiefly from allotments of federal funds. This is exclusive of the notable work performed by the national parks service in the construction con-struction of highways and trails within with-in the environs of Zion National Park, the mileage and costs of which are not reported to this office. Extensive surveys have been completed com-pleted on the proposed 25-mile Zion Park-Mr.. Carmel connection. When completed this road will effect a saving sav-ing of 100 miles over existing routes in travelling from Cedar Breaks to Zion Park and thence to Bryce Canyon. Can-yon. As a scenic loop for tourist travel during the summer ' months from Cedar City over the Cedar-Long Valley road to Bryce Canyon and returning re-turning via Zion Park to Cedar City, there will be a reduction of approximately approxi-mately 130 miles as compared with present routes. It will also provide an economic commercial connection for Kanab with the railroad at Cedar City and an all-year route, the summit sum-mit elevation on the proposed road being 6500 feet, which is some 3500 feet lower than that over the Cedar-Long Cedar-Long Valley road. The importance of this connection link has long been recognized but its great cost, on account ac-count of the rugged country traversed travers-ed has delayed its construction pending pend-ing the improvement of the existing roads in this region and their interstate inter-state connections. The most expensive expens-ive portion of this roadway will be the eight miles lying within the park boundaries. It will surmount the east rim of Zion Canyon with a maximum grade of 5 per cent. The road will be recessed over a portion of its length wdthin the sheer precipices of the canyon wall, displaying from its winding galleries, views of unexampled unexampl-ed magnificence. This eight miles of spectacular highway will cost, it is estimated, in excess of $1,000,000. It will be financed by the National Parks Service and constructed by the Bureau of Public Roads. The remaining remain-ing 17 miles, all in Kane county, will be built by the state, with the federal government participating in its financing. fi-nancing. The estimated cost, is $300, 000. The state is ready to proceed with its portion of the construction and it is believed that the road will be completed throughout its entire length and opened to traffic within two years. Within Washington and Iron counties coun-ties is comprised most of the mileage designated for improvement under the Federal Aid law in the scenic region. The projects completed to date by the state within these two counties with federal aid with mileage and costs are as follows: ...Iron County: Cedar-Lund, 33 miles gravel, $334,300; Buckhorn Flat, 9.5 miles gravel, $68,500; Cedar-Kanarra, 12 miles gravel, $99,400; Parowan-Winn Parowan-Winn Hollow, 9.6 miles gravel, $94,-300; $94,-300; Cedar City concrete, 1.1 nilos, $32,400, plus city's portion, $10,000; Kanarra to Washington county line. 4.5 miles gravel estimated to cost $38,000 is under construction. Washington County: Anderson's Ranch-Ash Creek, 7.3 miles gravel with four concrete bridges, $149,000; Ash Creek to Iron county line with 130-ft. clear snan concrete arch bridge across Ash Creek, $189,000; Anderson's Ander-son's Ranch-Toqucrville, 2.8 miles gravel with 150-ft. concrete bridge, $50,000; Rockville-Zion Park. 6.4 miles gravel, $119,000; St. George-H.irris-hurg Bench, 8.9 miles gravel with 235-ft. 235-ft. tunnel, $172,000. Rockville-Dal-ton Wash. 7.6 miles gravel estimated I cost $110,000 is under construction. In Garfield and Kane counties, forest for-est projects completed by the Bureau of Public Roads, financed by the Forest For-est Service with local or state cooperation co-operation in part are: Circleville Canyon, Can-yon, 4.5 miles graded, $61.00(1: Bryce Canyon, 5 miles gravel, S28.000; lied Canyon. 7.6 miles grav-1, ? 115,000: ' Garfield county line-Glendiile. 13.5 1 miles part surfaced. $103,900; Bryce.! Tropic. 2.9 miles graded. $50,000. The; Cedar-Long Valley road via Cedar I Breaks and Navajo Lake, 42 miles. I also a forest project, surfaced in part, cost $368,000. The spur to Cedar Break's. 4.1 miles long, will be built on a relocation at an estimated cost of $38,000. the new road to be a marked mark-ed improvement in grade and alignment. align-ment. Miscellaneous state prnjeets in the! last two years without federal aid in the four counties have eosf $33,000. j Both Federal Aid and Forest projects pro-jects when completed are taken over ! for maintenance by the state with funds derived from the Gasoline Tax. It is axiomatic that 'the heavy ox-j fenditure of rublic funds as above . outlined, should be effieiently e,n- 1 served. Evidence of the improvement j in this direction is apparent from the, fact that whereas the average r vp"n- i diture fr,r gravel road maintenance prior to the enactment of the ga-o ! line tax law was per mile ea'b j year, the averar""' ra'" is now $210. ' This irieliid'-" th" additions of n"v.-, material to the travc!.w -Any. in j rtiaeir.g the surface loc-cs re-!' ir Yom thrt v.-'-ar and tear of traffic. It alo inehjd' s much oomt ateritiori o the nd.rg frialitiec of the road! than was former1;,' poible with the j verr limited fund- available. The patrol syctm of maintenance has beT) adop.ted on all main routes, supplemented by floating gangs that, are equipped to make such repairs as require several men and special equipment. The work of the patrolmen patrol-men is to keep the road surface up to standard, ditches and culverts open shoulders graded, weeds cut, etc. Work performed by the -gangs consists con-sists in the removal of breakages and slides, hauling and placing renewals to gravel surfaces. The upkeep of structures requires that repairs be made to guard railing and timber bridges, that steel bridges be repainted, repaint-ed, bolts tightened, channels cleared, etc. Upon the completion of Federal Aid project No. 11, Lund to Cedar City, Iron county provided for its continuous contin-uous repair and upkeep by a system of patrols, this being before the days of the gasoline tax, and furnished the state with its first example of a road maintained by the patrol system. sys-tem. It proved so effective that its adoption throughout the state was general. In 1924 the State Road Commission Com-mission undertook a share of the costs of maintenance of state roads with funds made available by the gasoline tax. In 1925, fiftey per cent of such maintenance costs were borne by the state and in 1926 the state relieved the counties of all obligation under this head on the state road system. It now costs approximately $700,-000 $700,-000 annually to maintain the state roads of Utah and these costs are rising with the steady increase in traffic. The use of the roads for travel during the winter months is 1 comming increasingly popular and snow removal on many of our roads is an important and expensive item in the annual budget. In our thinly populated state, 70 per cent of its area being still a part of thc public domain, merely to keep our extrusive mileage of splendid roads to standard stand-ard and to pay the interest and sinking sink-ing fund charges on road bonds outstanding out-standing will continue to be a heavy tax on our resources. Future improvements im-provements must depend, to n large extent upon financial assistance from the general government. Federal Aid in Utah, exclusive of forest road construction, con-struction, will continue to the amount of $850,000 each year to the close of the fiscal year 1929. There is no assurance as-surance that it will continue beyond that period. It is of paramount importance im-portance to the development of thlti state and its scenic resources that federal aid co-operation in highway construction remain a fact on the rta-tute rta-tute books until our total of 1684 miles of road in the federal aid system sys-tem has been improved to the required requir-ed standard. There is no other section sec-tion of the country where more is to be gained by highway improvement than in the Public Land states and, as a consequence, no other section in whii'h the per capita expenditure for highways is equalled. Within a very few years, if our present rate of progress can be continued, (very mile of our principal highways will be nat-isfactorily nat-isfactorily improved and accommodating accommodat-ing as never before the local and interstate in-terstate traffic and the tourist travel f rom adjoining and distant states. ,.'-:.-' . i -"'" if,-" '' ",, -17K- ' .7vV r 77;' '-V7-77l I iV7 " (0iri-?y '.inn Mudif ".Angels' I'athway On Highway lo Odar Itrcak. |